International Service is one of the five avenues of service that the Rotary Club of Fillmore Sun Risers participates in yearly. This year the Sun Risers have joined other Rotary clubs and organizations to reach out internationally. In October 2011, the Club made a $1,000 donation to the Rotary Club of Santa Barbara Sunrise toward their ongoing clean water project in Kenya. Santa Barbara Rotarians partnered with Engineers without Boarders (based at UCSB) in 2010 to build a much needed water well in Kenya. The Fillmore Rotarian’s donation will help this project continue and expand.

Fillmore Sun Risers have also joined the Rotary Club of Ventura and the Ventura Rotaract Club on their wonderful projects in Nicaragua. On Tuesday, January 17th members of the Rotaract Club will be making a presentation about their travels to Nicaragua in November 2011. The Fillmore Sun Risers helped sponsor the Rotaract by applying for a travel grant through Rotary District 5241. If you are interested in seeing this wonderful presentation please contact Cindy Blatt at 906-4114. The presentation will be at El Pescador Restaurant at 7:00 AM.

Another ongoing international project and fund raiser is the sale of Green Mountain Coffee. Green Mountain Coffee is high quality, organic and Fair Trade in origin. The program provides revenue for the Fillmore Rotary Sun Risers (for international and community projects), for Rotary International and for the Rotary Foundation’s Clean Water for Coffee Producing Countries Donor Advised Fund. Six countries have benefited from the efforts to provide clean water to coffee producing countries: Tanzania, Uganda, Kenya, Bolivia, Haiti and Honduras. 1.1 billion people still do not have access to clean water. Bags of coffee are only $10. Contact Rotarian Kyle Wilson at Edward Jones in Fillmore. There are a variety of flavors.

Upcoming events/fund raisers and speaker: 1) Tuesday, Jan, 17th – presenation on Nicaragua project; Annual Casino Nite Fund Raiser at El Pescador, Friday, April 27th. Tickets will be available soon; Heritage Valley 10/5k Run/Walk on Saturday, May19th.

For more information about the Rotary Club of Fillmore Sun Risers, call Sean at 796-0276.